Q06 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[July, 
The Articles on Winter Wheat. 
The committee to whom was referred some 15 
essays or articles on the culture of Winter wheat, 
return two articles, and recommend a division of the 
premiiim. One is the soundest and best, but very 
brief; the other more in detail, hut rather old fogy- 
ish, and both describe the practice rather of Eastern, 
than of Western or prairie farmers. The general 
principles of wheat culture depend upon the nature 
of the grain, and are invariable. The details'of' 
• culture vary with the soil; and the climate, the 
danger from insects, the demands of the market, f 
the expense of labor, etc. We are, disappointed in 
not having received, in response to the liberal pre¬ 
miums offered, essays involving more thought and 
■labor, and it may pertinently be asked: “If neither 
of the articles are worthy of the prize, how can you 
justify a division of it?” We do not like to go be¬ 
hind the decision of a committee, and besides, there 
are very many valuable and practical hints and di¬ 
rections in the articles, taken together. 
The necessity or great desirableness of under¬ 
draining is not sufficiently brought out. The nu¬ 
merous and explicit articles previously published 
in the Agriculturist on this subject, find iu this crop 
important application. The recommendation to 
provide surface drains, in the second article, was ac¬ 
companied by a long, account of the surface drain- 
. age of wheat fields, which we have thought it best ' 
to omit. Thorough underdraining with tiles, four 
feet deep and 2% rods apart, is doubtless the best pre¬ 
liminary preparation a wheat field can have, unless 
it be drained by nature, and gravel beds, to such an 
extent as to render further, drainage unneeded. 
Stone-drains, brush-drains, wood-drains, are each ad¬ 
visable under certain circumstances; and in the 
stoneless soils of the West, mole-draining by sim¬ 
ply passing a “mole” or “moleplow” through the 
ground at a depth of 20 to 30 inches, is found of 
great service, affording a means of draining the 
prairies at a cost of 8 to 10 cents per rod, in a man¬ 
ner which will last for several years. 
There can be no doubt that culling heads for one’s 
own seed is exceedingly advantageous. This is 
done by letting the best part of the field stand to 
get very nearly or quite ripe, and then .going into 
it and plucking the largest and longest heads, sep¬ 
arating the shrunken grain after it is thrashed or 
rubbed out. It will pay, and where wheat is drilled 
.may very:easily be done.. This process should ;be 
followed up for several years in order to secure the 
best results—planting culled seed grown from 
culled seed. The wheat is an improvable plant, 
perhaps the most so of all our cereals. In thife 
way, new varieties maybe originated, with plumper 
grain, giving a larger yield to the acre, and more 
flour to the bushel. This process pays well in Eng¬ 
land, in the higher price sueh improved wheat brings 
for seed—frequently three times the price of mil¬ 
ler’s wheat. 
In regard to drilling, our farmers shrink from it 
on account of the cost of the drill. Necessity or ‘ 
supposed necessity influences a feeling of prefer¬ 
ence ; and so indiscriminate broadcast sowing finds 
advocates. There is no doubt in the minds of most 
who can afford to use one, that the grain drill very 
soon pays for itself. The principles upon which it 
operates apply to all soils, and the results of its use 
are very uniformly advantageous. 
The use of the reaping machine is gaining advo¬ 
cates very .rapidly, as machines come to be more 
conveniently managed. It is true that lusty cradlers 
will lay down an acre of wheat in a very short time, 
. with less waste flora shelling if the grain: be too 
ripe—and on small farms, or in small fields, with less 
expense; but when the fields are extensive, the grain 
in a proper state and the reaper'a good one, the. 
comparison of the relative convenience and expense 
will be in favor of the machine. The same is truer 
in regard to thrashing;—either unskilled hands, a 
poor machine, or a small quantity of grain to be, 
thrashed, will be a .reason , why thrashing by the 
flail would be preferred. Grain caps were comment¬ 
ed upon in the .June Agriculturist; w.e believe in 
them, and though not so much needed for grain as 
for hay, they will turn rain perfectly, and may save 
the entire crop from sprouting. - 
The great want, perhaps, in wheat-growing, es¬ 
pecially in the older States, is the conviction that 
the thing can be made to pay. As soon as our farm¬ 
ers can see this, they will learn how to do it. This 
conviction is growing, we have no doubt, in many 
of the districts where wheat had been abandoned 
for a time. It is no wonder that the crop failed so 
generally in New-England, for it certainly requires 
more skill, if nof more manure, than most other 
crops. It went out more from'lack of manure, 
than from the multitude of its enemies, though we 
: would by no means underrate the latter. A farmer 
sowed without manure upon poor land, and got a 
poor crop, as he deserved to. The trouble was in 
the man, not in the plant. A few farmers who were 
willing to do justice to the plant, have never ceased 
to get a paying crop: Gov. Colby, of New-Hamp- 
shire,' boasts that neither he nor his fathers ever 
bought a barrel of flour. * 
Cultivation of Winter Wheat. 
Wheat, one of the greatest staples of the country, 
if rightly managed may be made one of the most 
profitable of our cereals, upon almost any soil. 
Twenty years’ experience has demonstrated to me 
that we hardly need fail of success, if the following- 
mode of proceeding be strictly followed. 
SELECTION OP SEED. 
Select none but the best seed of bearded wheat. 
The White chaff is preferable, it being worth some 
ten cents more per bushel in Eastern markets. Pre¬ 
pare a strong brine—do not depend upon old beef 
or pork brine, and wash as long as any filth or im¬ 
mature grain rises to the surface. By this process 
we shall expel from two to three quarts of foul seed 
and shrunken grain per bushel, from what would 
be called an “ extra” article. Seed prepared in this 
manner will send up none but the most hardy and 
vigorous plants, consequently will be less liable to 
winter-kill; and as like produces like, we may look 
for an article in the increase equal if not superior 
to that which was sown. Add three quarts, of dry, 
fresh-slacked lime to every bushel, of wheat; mix 
up thoroughly two. days, or two weeks, previous,to 
sowing. This is important—neglect the lime and nine 
times out of ten you will have more or less smut; 
which will depreciate the value of the wheat. 
PREPARATION OF GROUND, SEEDING, ETC. 
The ground, if rich and strong enough, may be 
sown after peas, otherwise, after summer, fallow. 
In either case, manure on the surface, and plow or 
drag in with the wheat. T prefer to use about fif- 
teen loads to the acre thus prepared; then, after 
sowing thinly, to plow it in. The seed, by coming 
in immediate Contact with the manure, receives a 
thrifty and vigorous start, which it otherwise would 
not attain. This I think is highly important to in¬ 
sure success. 1 have never used the “drill, but in its 
stead Ide’s .cultivator which answers a good purpose. 
If you harrow in the seed, in no ease roll after¬ 
wards, as the inequalities of the surface will'prevent 
the snow from blowing off, and the plants will beless 
liable to be affected by frost. But if covered with a 
drill or cultivator this precaution is unnecessary, 
the seed being so much'deeper, and the roots les's 
exposed. When the ground is settled in Spring, go 
over with a heavy roller; it covers many exposed 
roots and often adds five to seven bushels per acre. 
Have the ground well pulverised previous to sow¬ 
ing ; it is useless to sow on lumpy and badly prepared 
soil. In ease there is no manure tobe had, cover the 
surface immediately after sowing and before the 
wheat starts, with, a light layer of straw; the 
wheat in a short time will come through, and pre¬ 
vent it from blowing, off. The straw will act as a 
mulch, and the ground being shaded will retain the 
moisture; andif the soil. is. not very poor you may 
expect a good paying crop. Two and:a-half bushels 
salt per acre tends to prevent rust, makes the straw, 
strong and bright, and gives the young wheat a dark 
color. If any one- doubts the truth of this State¬ 
ment, I hope he Will make the experiment, and my 
word for it, he will at once adopt the practice. I 
know of no better mode to prevent the ravages of 
the midge than early sowing, and even this some¬ 
times fails. The last week in August, or the first in 
: September, I would prefer, but this depends upon 
'circumstances ; if the weather is dry and hot, I would 
rather wait until October. Some-years since I 
made an experiment to test early and late sowing. 
One piece was sowed the last week in August; one 
the last week in September, and one the middle of 
October,'or. the same kind of soil and treated, in 
every respect alike. There was no difference in the 
time’of ripening or in the quality of the grain, but 
the earliest sowed produced the longest heads, con¬ 
sequently yielded more per acre. 
I do not sow plaster on wheat, as it tends to rust, 
and increases the bulk of-straw but not of grain. 
HARVESTING. 
Cut wheat as soon as the straw presents a golden 
appearance below the head to the first joint. The 
grain will be somewhat soft, but there need be no 
fear of shrinkage; it will produce more and bettor 
flour per bushel than if let stand until it becomes 
thoroughly dry. Bind in small sheaves; put them 
in a stook capped with two sheaves securely bound 
on. Put up in this manner wheat will stand through 
a long spell of wet weather without any fear of 
growing. If possible thrash with a machine as it is 
drawn to the barn ; it will save once handling and 
■it may then at onee.be secured from all kinds , of 
vermin and will be free from filth, which will en¬ 
hance its value. Of course if the above directions 
are followed, your wheat will be of such a superior 
quality that it will be marketed at your own door 
for seed, which will save the expense of transpor¬ 
tation, and will command fifty cents more per bush¬ 
el than an ordinary article, and in proof of the above 
theory I will give you the result of two fields 
treated as I have prescribed. From one acre and 
four rods, forty three and one half bushels, sold for 
seed at two dollars per bushel. On the other field 
I sowed fourteen and one half bushels, and harvest¬ 
ed three hundred and fifteen bushels. 
[PRIZE ARTICLE.] 
Cultivation of Winter Wheat. 
BY JOHN S. GESNER, CANADA WEST. 
The writer’s experience in the cultivation of win¬ 
ter wheat extends over sixteen years upon loamy 
clay, and four years upon sandy laud. I shall give 
it just as I would talk, it. 
DRAINAGE. 
It is absolutely necessary to ensure a good crop 
that the land be thoroughly drained—underdrainihg, 
if done properly, is without doubt the best;.but 
open or surface draining is the most common, and 
is that upon which my experience has been formed. 
I think that a field can not be too well drained, 
not only after it is sown, but previously—and that 
extra labor in clearing out and keeping clear every 
ditch, and digging large outlets, is amply rewarded 
by the extra yield. 
SOIL. 
A loamy clay I consider the best for wheat. I 
would prefer four or five inches of loam, with clay 
subsoil. This I always summer fallow—plow in 
May, deep.as I can, putting on two teams if one 
will not turn it deep enough, harrow well, cross 
plow in June, in July cultivate with a two.horse 
cultivator, or scrabbler. The latter part of August 
manure Well, and immediately plow again iu 11-foot 
ridges, cutting narrow, deep furrows. 
If the soil be light and sandy I would summer- 
fallow only in case of a new or weedy piece of land, 
which I intended to seed down. My way is to turn 
under a good crop of clover about the middle of 
June. The clover may be fed off until nearly the 
first of June, at which time sow about 2 bushels of 
gypsum (piaster) per acre.’ This will give the clover 
a good growth, and will be of service to' the com¬ 
ing wheat. .Plow in the clover deeply; apiece of 
chain about 3 feet long fastened to the coulter oi 
